A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 6.50.
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All 110 episodes plotted by IMDb rating
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9 episodes • 1979Avg: 6.5Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Man From the South | Mar 24, 1979 | 7.5 |
| 2 | Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat | Mar 31, 1979 | 4.0 |
| 3 | William and Mary | Apr 7, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Lamb to the Slaughter | Apr 14, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 5 | The Landlady | Apr 21, 1979 | 8.5 |
| 6 | Neck | Apr 28, 1979 | 4.5 |
| 7 | Edward the Conqueror | May 5, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 8 | A Dip in the Pool | May 12, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 9 | The Way Up to Heaven | May 19, 1979 | 6.5 |
16 episodes • 1980Avg: 5.9
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Jelly | Mar 1, 1980 | 6.0 |
| 2 | Skin | Mar 8, 1980 | 3.8 |
| 3 | Galloping Foxley | Mar 15, 1980 | 7.0 |
| 4 | The Hitch-Hiker | Mar 22, 1980 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Poison | Mar 29, 1980 | 3.8 |
| 6 | Fat Chance | Apr 5, 1980 | 6.0 |
| 7 | Taste | Apr 12, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 8 | My Lady Love, My Dove | Apr 19, 1980 | 6.0 |
| 9 | Georgy Porgy | Apr 26, 1980 | 3.2 |
| 10 | Depart in Peace | May 3, 1980 | 5.5 |
| 11 | The Umbrella Man | May 10, 1980 | 7.0 |
| 12 | Genesis & Catastrophe | May 17, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 13 | Mr Botibol's First Love | May 24, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 14 | Back for Christmas | May 31, 1980 | 7.0 |
| 15 | The Orderly World of Mr Appleby | Jun 7, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 16 | The Man at the Top | Jun 14, 1980 | 6.0 |
9 episodes • 1980Avg: 6.6
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Flypaper | Aug 9, 1980 | 8.5 |
| 2 | A Picture of a Place | Aug 16, 1980 | 6.0 |
| 3 | Proof of Guilt | Aug 23, 1980 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Vengeance is Mine Inc. | Aug 30, 1980 | 6.0 |
| 5 | A Girl Can't Always Have Everything | Nov 9, 1980 | 7.5 |
| 6 | Parson's Pleasure | Nov 30, 1980 | 7.0 |
| 7 | The Stinker | Dec 7, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 8 | I'll Be Seeing You | Dec 14, 1980 | 4.0 |
| 9 | The Party | Dec 19, 1980 | 6.5 |
17 episodes • 1981Avg: 5.9
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Would You Believe It? | Apr 5, 1981 | 7.0 |
| 2 | Vicious Circle | Apr 12, 1981 | 6.0 |
| 3 | The Boy Who Talked with Animals | Apr 19, 1981 | 5.5 |
| 4 | The Best of Everything | Apr 26, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 5 | A Woman's Help | May 3, 1981 | 6.0 |
| 6 | Shatterproof | May 10, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 7 | The Sound Machine | May 17, 1981 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Never Speak Ill of the Dead | May 24, 1981 | 7.0 |
| 9 | The Best Policy | May 31, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 10 | The Last Bottle in the World | Jun 7, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 11 | Kindly Dig Your Grave | Jun 14, 1981 | 7.5 |
| 12 | Completely Foolproof | Jun 21, 1981 | 5.5 |
| 13 | There's One Born Every Minute | Jun 5, 1981 | 3.5 |
| 14 | Bosom Friends | Jun 12, 1981 | 6.0 |
| 15 | A Glowing Future | Jul 19, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 16 | The Way to Do it | Jul 26, 1981 | 5.5 |
| 17 | Hijack | Dec 26, 1981 | 6.5 |
18 episodes • 1982Avg: 5.8
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Marigold | Apr 25, 1982 | 6.0 |
| 2 | The Eavesdropper | May 2, 1982 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Operation Safecrack | May 9, 1982 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Run, Rabbit, Run | May 16, 1982 | 5.5 |
| 5 | Stranger in Town | May 23, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 6 | The Moles | May 30, 1982 | 6.5 |
| 7 | Decoy | Jun 6, 1982 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Pattern of Guilt | Jun 13, 1982 | 6.5 |
| 9 | A Harmless Vanity | Jun 20, 1982 | 4.0 |
| 10 | Death Can Add | Jun 27, 1982 | 6.5 |
| 11 | Light Fingers | Jul 4, 1982 | 6.0 |
| 12 | Death in the Morning | Jul 11, 1982 | 3.2 |
| 13 | What Have You Been Up to Lately? | Jul 18, 1982 | 6.0 |
| 14 | The Absence of Emily | Jul 25, 1982 | 5.5 |
| 15 | In the Bag | Aug 1, 1982 | 6.0 |
| 16 | A Man with a Fortune | Aug 8, 1982 | 6.5 |
| 17 | Who's Got the Lady? | Aug 15, 1982 | 6.0 |
| 18 | The Skeleton Key | Aug 22, 1982 | 6.0 |
14 episodes • 1983Avg: 5.8
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Passing Opportunity | Apr 9, 1983 | 6.0 |
| 2 | The Memory Man | Apr 16, 1983 | 5.5 |
| 3 | A Sad Loss | Apr 23, 1983 | 5.5 |
| 4 | Clerical Error | Apr 30, 1983 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Heir Presumptuous | May 7, 1983 | 5.0 |
| 6 | Where's Your Sense of Humour? | Apr 14, 1983 | 6.0 |
| 7 | Down Among the Sheltering Palms | May 21, 1983 | 6.5 |
| 8 | The Vorpal Blade | May 28, 1983 | 6.5 |
| 9 | The Wrong 'Un | Jun 11, 1983 | 5.5 |
| 10 | The Luncheon | Jun 19, 1983 | 5.0 |
| 11 | The Tribute | Jun 25, 1983 | 5.0 |
| 12 | Hit and Run | May 10, 1983 | 6.0 |
| 13 | Youth from Vienna | Jul 2, 1983 | 6.5 |
| 14 | The Turn of the Tide | Sep 3, 1983 | 5.0 |
15 episodes • 1984Avg: 5.4Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dirty Detail | May 12, 1984 | 6.0 |
| 2 | The Best Chess Player in the World | May 19, 1984 | 5.5 |
| 3 | Proxy | May 26, 1984 | 5.0 |
| 4 | Have a Nice Death | Jun 2, 1984 | 3.5 |
| 5 | Number Eight | Jun 9, 1984 | 6.5 |
| 6 | The Last of the Midnight Gardeners | Jun 16, 1984 | 5.5 |
| 7 | The Gift of Beauty | Jun 30, 1984 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Wet Saturday | Jul 7, 1984 | 4.5 |
| 9 | Sauce for the Goose | Jul 21, 1984 | 5.0 |
| 10 | Bird of Prey | Aug 4, 1984 | 6.0 |
| 11 | I Like it Here in Wilmington | Nov 8, 1984 | 5.0 |
| 12 | Accidental Death | Aug 19, 1984 | 6.5 |
| 13 | The Reconciliation | Sep 16, 1984 | 5.5 |
| 14 | The Mugger | Oct 14, 1984 | 6.5 |
| 15 | The Open Window | Oct 21, 1984 | 5.0 |
4 episodes • 1985Avg: 6.5
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | People Don't Do Such Things | Mar 30, 1985 | 6.0 |
| 2 | In the Cards | Jul 14, 1985 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery | Jul 21, 1985 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Scrimshaw | Jul 28, 1985 | 6.5 |
10 episodes • 1987Avg: 6.1
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skeleton in the Cupboard | Dec 18, 1987 | 7.0 |
| 2 | The Colonel's Lady | Jan 8, 1988 | 6.5 |
| 3 | The Surgeon | Jan 15, 1988 | 5.5 |
| 4 | The Verger | Jan 22, 1988 | 6.5 |
| 5 | The Facts of Life | Jan 29, 1988 | 5.5 |
| 6 | Wink Three Times | Apr 15, 1988 | 6.0 |
| 7 | The Dead Don't Steal | Apr 22, 1988 | 6.5 |
| 8 | The Finger of Suspicion | Apr 29, 1988 | 5.0 |
| 9 | A Time to Die | May 6, 1988 | 5.5 |
| 10 | Mr Know-All | May 13, 1988 | 7.0 |
